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OpinionImpressionsMortal Kombat 11: Aftermath’s Story Goes Pretty Much As Expected
The new single-player story content in Mortal Kombat 11’s Aftermath expansion stars the treacherous sorcerer Shang Tsung. Having that backstabby, soul-stealing bastard front-and-center is a good sign that betrayal is going down at some point. It’s just a matter of when and how much. Eventually and bunches. Out today for PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and…
By Mike Fahey Published May 26, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsHorrific Tech Demo Lets You Create Fleshy Greeting Cards
Some artists sculpt with clay, others create beautiful landscapes with watercolors. Misshapen, the upcoming body-horror game from Argentine developer BRUTO, gives players the ability to craft terrifying sights using the flesh of their enemies. The full game still lacks a release date, but a new demo provides a sneak peek of the “draw-with-lumps” technology that…
By Ian Walker Published May 22, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsMinecraft Dungeons Is A Fun But Stripped-Down Dungeon Brawler
I’ve spent a few hours clicking through Minecraft Dungeons’ isometric world and, despite how shallow it feels, I’d be content to click through it for several more. Mojang’s attempt to spin its massively popular crafting game into a small Diablo-like is successful, limited only by the narrow ambitions underlying it. Minecraft Dungeons, out May 26…
By Ethan Gach Published May 22, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsSaints Row: The Third Remastered Looks Nice But Feels Old In 2020
Saints Row: The Third Remastered brings the apex of the franchise to PS4 and Xbox One for the first time, warts and all. Originally released in 2011, the third game in the Saints Row franchise was a turning point for the series and the most successful effort to distinguish it as something more than a…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 22, 2020 -
OpinionTerrace House: Aloha State Is Actually Good
I have been on public record as saying Terrace House: Aloha State sucks, and sucks so much it’s not even worth watching. But having given the show a second chance this past month, I am a changed man. I repent. My Terrace House fandom timeline is as follows, and may be similar to yours. I…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsWhat The Golf Turns Everything Into Golf, And It’s Great
I knew What The Golf? was brilliant just a few minutes after it began. An early hole was structured such that I could bank a shot off a mound and a get a hole in one, as opposed to sloppily shooting around an obstacle—in this case, some cats chilling out nearby. Setting up this shot…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 21, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsWatch Hatsune Miku Perform ‘Live’ In Phantasy Star Online 2
Japanese virtual idol Hatsune Miku and her vocaloid friend, Meguirine Luka, have been popping by the Asia version of Phantasy Star Online 2 for years. Now North American players are getting their first taste of Miku and Luka’s “Living Universe” performance, and I was there, awkwardly trying to figure out the dance emote. A handful…
By Mike Fahey Published May 20, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsApex Legends‘ Flimsy Opening Quest Left Me Unimpressed
It took me just six minutes to finish the first leg of “The Broken Ghost,” Apex Legends’ cooperative storyline. With all the effort it takes to unlock the missions and the week-long wait between chapters, I expected a whole lot more out of the event than what I got. Unlike fellow games set in the…
By Ian Walker Published May 19, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsJet Lancer Is A Stylish Fighter Pilot Game With Great Boss Fights
Come for the stylish, retro graphics, stay for the tight controls and thrill of blowing your enemies’ faces off when you snap on your after-burners at just the right moment. I didn’t know anything about Jet Lancer when I first started playing it, except that its tiny red fighter jet and azure skies made me…
By Ethan Gach Published May 19, 2020 -
OpinionIt’s Time For A Tony Hawk’s Underground Remake
A new Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game is coming out this year and it is a remake of the first two games. This would be more exciting if they hadn’t already done this same thing back in 2012. How about this: Stop remaking those classic games and remake Tony Hawk’s Underground, please. I love those…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 17, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsEverything Is Okay Now, There’s A Hatsune Miku Rhythm Game On The Switch
Virtual songstress Hatsune Miku and her digital friends finally bring their brand of rhythm action to the Nintendo Switch today. While Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix initially comes off as a watered down version of 2017’s Project Diva Future Tone for the PlayStation 4, Miku’s new anime look, the Switch-exclusive game mode, and portable…
By Mike Fahey Published May 15, 2020 -
OpinionThe Strange, Essential Worlds Of Cosmo D
I’ve been covering indie games here at Kotaku since 2016 and sharing all sorts of fantastical worlds with readers. Some are loud and flashy. Others are moody. Some of the best have come from the mind of developer Cosmo D. In February, I showed off his next game, Tales From Off Peak City. In the…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 15, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsCrusader Kings III Is A Kinder, Gentler Crusader Kings
No pressure, guys, but Crusader Kings III might be Paradox’s most important game of all time. The second game in the series was a breakout, mainstream success for the normally hardcore PC strategy label, drawing in millions of people to the joys of running a medieval kingdom, seducing princes and murdering a lot of people.…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 15, 2020 -
OpinionMeet The Newest Members Of The Kotaku Team (2020 Edition)
In 2012, in my second month running Kotaku, I introduced readers to four new staffers (and one new columnist) who would go on to do great things for the site. Eight years later, I’d like you to meet the five newest members of our team. I introduce them at a very different time in Kotaku’s…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 13, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsFight Off Waves Of Beyblades and Bogglins Inside A Toy ‘R’ Us In Hypercharged: Unboxed
Have you ever wanted to fight off waves of Beyblades inside a Toy ‘R’ Us while playing as a tiny action figure equipped with a laser rifle? Well, you might enjoy Hpyercharged: Unboxed. Part Toy Story, part tower defense, part Horde mode, Hypercharged is a first-person-cooperative online shooter where you and some friends take on…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 9, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsRadio Commander, A Strategy Game Where You Just Talk On A Radio And Get Very Upset
The entire point of strategy games, and a lot of the appeal, is that you’re given direct control over entire units or even armies, even if historically you’d have only a fraction of that influence. Radio Commander realises that, and it’s a fascinating game because of it. It puts you in the position of an…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 7, 2020 -
OpinionGameplay Trailers Should Have Gameplay In Them
During today’s Inside Xbox presentation, Ubisoft showed off what they described as “the first look” at gameplay from the recently announced Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. But for many watching, myself included, it wasn’t really what we expected when I heard the term gameplay. The day before the Xbox event, Ubisoft was quick to point out that…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 7, 2020 -
OpinionGames Criticism Is A Kindness
Writing about games invites accusations of taking things too seriously. Criticism, it sometimes seems, is a dirty word. I don’t think that’s true. I think that whether you are praising something or condemning it, criticism is an act of love. I suspect that the word “criticism,” when read in isolation, evokes a negative connotation in…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 7, 2020 -
OpinionIt’s Time For A Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Remaster
Yesterday, I finished Final Fantasy VII Remake. Today, I find myself wanting more, but only a little more. Maybe another 15-20 hours in and around Midgar, seeing the surrounding slums and deserts through the eyes of somebody who’s more relevant to the series’ larger machinations than ever? Something along those lines? I don’t know, just…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 5, 2020
